Summer fair sneaks in a bit of schooling

Eve, an Alpine goat, sneaks one of her buddy Miranda's treats Wednesday while waiting for her turn at the milking stand. In the background, animal educator Karla Majewski provides a running commentary on the health benefits of goat milk. Photo by Barbara Henry / Special to the U-T

Eve, an Alpine goat, sneaks one of her buddy Miranda's treats Wednesday while waiting for her turn at the milking stand. In the background, animal educator Karla Majewski provides a running commentary on the health benefits of goat milk. Photo by Barbara Henry / Special to the U-T

Eve, an Alpine goat, sneaks one of her buddy Miranda's treats Wednesday while waiting for her turn at the milking stand. In the background, animal educator Karla Majewski provides a running commentary on the health benefits of goat milk. Photo by Barbara Henry / Special to the U-T

BARBARA HENRY / Special to the U-T

School’s out for summer, but a visit to the San Diego County Fair allows cagey parents a way to sneak in a little education for their kids before hitting the roller coasters and the deep-fried food booths.

Arizona sheep rancher Bill South says he sees home-schooling parents regularly taking advantage of learning opportunities in the animal exhibits and livestock areas at the fair.

They bring their kids into the Livestock Barn to watch his wife’s daily sheep shearing demonstrations and to look over the some three dozen sheep that his SouthFork Ranch has at the fair, he said Wednesday.

One mom told her boy that his homework was to find out one fascinating sheep fact — that child quickly got the better of mom because he discovered some sheep pens had display cards with pre-printed facts.

On the little white cards, visitors can learn that sheep have smaller brains now than they did 12,000 years ago; that Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to the New World was funded in large part by revenue from Spanish wool sales; and that both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson kept sheep.

The actual sheep shearing goes fast — visitors should arrive a few minutes before the daily start times, or there’s nothing to see. World-record holders can do it in less than a minute, South said.

The demonstrations occur at noon, 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. in the Livestock Barn. Smart parents can combine that educational opportunity with a goat-milking demonstration in the nearby AgriFair building.

Goat milking takes place at 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. Fair visitors aren’t allowed to sip the milk, but they can hold out a hand and feel how warm the bucket becomes once it’s full of milk.

Animal educator Karla Majewski, who assists with the milking demonstrations, told the crowd Wednesday that goat milk is what 80 percent of the world drinks. Cows are costly to keep and three goats can keep a whole family supplied with milk for year, she said.

Parents looking to fill in the time between the goat and the sheep demonstrations can let their kids visit the petting zoo in the AgriFair building — the animal food pellets cost $1 handful and the money goes for scholarships. The three activities combined off an hour’s worth of educational entertainment outside the classroom.